Badnekayi Mullgai Palya/Bagara Baingan

This is one of the famous Eggplant Curry served with jowar Roti in north karnataka. There are different ways of cooking this dish with different masala. This is one masala which is liked by my family. Whenever we visit India, we try to eat atleast once at the kamats Yatri nivas where they serve hot jawar roti with baingan masala which is well known as Bakri oota.

Masala

peanuts – 1 cup

seseme seeds – 1/2 cup

grated coconut – 1/2 cup

red chilli – 8-10

coriander seeds – 2 tsp

jeera – 1 tsp

hing – a pinch

jaggery to taste

salt to taste

cloves – 4

cinamon – 1 inch stick

tamarind – lemon sized ball

Fry all the above and grind to a thick paste

onions – 1 big

sambhar onions/madras onions – a bunch full

small brinjals – 10 numbers

2 sprig of curry leaves

coriander leaves

Slit the Brinjals into plus by keeping the bottom together. Put one spoon of masala to the each slit. Heat oil in a pressure pan. Add mustard seeds hing, add curry leaves once the seeds splutter. Fry cut onions until light brown, add sambhar onions and brinjals. Add all the remaining masalas on top. Make sure there is some liquid for the steam to form in order to cook the brinjals. This is a little tricky, allow the mixture to boil and close the pressure pans top. Cook for 1 whistle and sim the fire for 5 minutes. Take of fire let the pressure cool for 10 minutes, Serve with phulkas or rice.